TO DRINK THE RAIN

August 05, 2020 / Malcolm Holcombe

One Leg at a Time
Mountains of Home
Behind the Number One
Down in the Woods
Becky’s Blessed (Backporch Flowers)
Those Who Wander
Where I Don’t Belong
The Mighty City
Reckon to the Wind
To Drink the Rain
Comes the Blues
One Man Singin’

LYRICS

one leg at a time (britches)

i put on my britches one leg at a time
i put on my ol britches just one leg at a time
i get up in the mornin' try to help that ol sunrise
i put on my britches one leg at a time

when ya fall down on the ground ya get dirty sometime
when ya fall down ya gonna get dirty some o' the time
mister money machine gets meaner when ya hang arond the high dry cleaners
ya better put on yo britches one leg at a time

chorus

one leg at a time
one foot in front o' the other with a smile
put on yo britches one leg at a time
goin down the country road with a smile
ya better put on yo britches one leg at a time

i had a sharp pocket knife and some ol' scrap iron
a big sharp pocket knife and a lil' scrap iron
jack o' spades black or blue ya gotta play them cards what give to you
an' put on yo britches one leg at a time

chorus

them high-heel cuties make a fool outta you
them high- heel cuties can make a fool outta you
when they follow you around they make yo socks roll up and down
ya better put on yo britches one leg at a time

chorus
vamp

put on them britches..
just one leg at a time

c. universal/mca ?? 199?
malcolm holcombe

the mountains of home

they sing about cities
and brag about steel
world's seven wonders
i cannot feel

the telephone lines
run outta sight
taken for granted
when i'm passin' by

chorus

my heart loses time
oh where has it gone
your love has the answers
in the mountains of home
they talk about buildings
so modern and nice
and throw away mem'ries
to keep me surprised

the longer i live
thru God's lovin' grace
the further i travel
to find my own way

chorus

we pray for our children
they grow up so fast
seekin' their fortunes
in ev'ry sunrise

we drifted apart
chasin' silver and gold
oh when will we learn
to wander no more.

chorus

c. 2010 gypsyeyes music BMI
malcolm holcombe

behind the number one

there's a land o' milk and honey
full o' lawsuits left and right
keeps me jumpin' in the water
drownin' demons in the night

(we cant kill ev'rybody)
we cant bribe ev'rybody
(who disagrees with freedom)
with the bloody hands of freedom
fillin' up a dirty ocean
with a mighty hole a bleedin'.

this mighty hole o' luxury
keeps burnin' like before
no matter what i say and do
i (still) work for more and more

chorus
hist'ry makes a mark o' time

spinnin' wheels pass the buck
behind the number one(selfish one)

thinkin' how to turn a dime
and turn my luck around
buyin' time to feel the breeze
o' livin' up and down

chorus

i blame the man who's got the most
and curse the weak and dumb
i turn the tv on and off
and watch me scream and run

chorus
chorus

c.2010 gypsyeyes music, BMI

down in the woods

way down in the woods
far from the highways
away from the moments
unoticed and gone

way down in the woods
touchin' moss so soft
on the deadwood dyin'
in time's fertile arms

chorus

thank God for the stars
each one in the heavens
thank God where you are
and your travelin' steps

way down in the woods
i will go for my rest
way down in the woods
i will go

way down in the woods
the dogwoods survive
round the blades of the briars
and virgina pines

way down in the woods
the ivy lays sleepin'
patiently waitin'
for sunlight to find

chorus

way down in the woods
the wind knows the way
to carry the voices
sweet angels have made

way down in the woods
walkin' close to my heart
turn loose o' my tongue
and thank God for the stars.

chorus
chorus

c. 2010 gypsyeyes music, BMI
malcolm holcombe

becky’s blessed (backporch flowers)

becky’s blessed with a special heart
Ev’rybody in the neighborhood knows
a soft touch around the world from the start
keeps my backporch flowers growin’

becky’s blessed with a special heart
a whisper listenin’ through the walls
a gentle word in a room where you are
keeps my backporch flowers growin’

chorus
good preachin’ on the radio
she’s reachin’ for a finer sound
old apron strings on sunday mornin’s
turns me away from town

becky’s blessed with a special heart
fingernails plain cut and dried
hair comin’ into silver light
keeps my backporch flowers growin’

chorus

becky’s blessed with a special heart
keeps my backporch flowers growin’

c. 1994 purple girl music, BMI
malcolm holcombe

those who wander

trucks whine in the distance
in the rain in the hills
highways stretchin' fingers
to the lonesome emptiness
lonesome emptiness

no wishes to stay home
no reason lustin's gone
leave this land for profit
abandon to belong
abandon to belong

grass turns green in springtime
soft as baby's hair
summer give to autumn
and leaves dance in the air
leaves dance in the air

chorus
many those who wander
cryin' for the sun
lyin' to their footsteps
forgettin' ev'ryone
forgettin' ev'ryone

winter keeps expected
work goes on and hard
warm inside the mem'ries
and grateful where you are
grateful where you are

where i am is with you
not lookin' far away
stillness comes to listen
and move me when i stay
move me when i stay

chorus

concrete holds the steel
above the tortured fields
steel remembers nuthin'
but twisted memories
twisted memories.

chorus
chorus

c. 2010 gypsyeyes music, BMI
malcolm holcombe

where i don’t belong

there's a river of ol' mem'ries
on the same rock i was born
crossin' water fills a book
o' them pages sadly torn

the rain keeps fallin' down
from my home to sweeter skies
the water's singin' wonders
but i don’t remember why

chorus
i dont remember why you came
and left me all alone
God help us one God help us all
where i don’t belong

rockin' chair kept her eyes
shinin' out the window
childhood passin' by
too fast for me to cry

chorus

grandmother's crown has gone to fill
grandfather's eyes with tears
miles from home she cannot face
that bedsheet round her waist

chorus
chorus

c. 2010 gypsyeyes music BMI
malcolm holcombe

the mighty city

the blisterin' needles of rain
on a day like the others
satisfaction surreal and so simple
for a moment under cover

i follow the sounds in the distance
with a feelin' sore in my feet
breathin' believin' in sorrow
only now can be real

soaked to the bone by the rain
cold and lonely again and again
that mighty city of trains
moves closer and closer within

plans mean nuthin' but time
and time is not human
expectin' the mountains to fly
to my hands like a woman

chorus
the journey of youth is a short one
no matter the sunrise and fall
older ones speak with a shuffle
sooner to answer my call.

chorus
chorus

c.2010 gypsyeyes music, BMI
malcolm holcombe

reckon to the wind

the mornin' sun's a climbin'
high into the sky
windin' screamin' sounds
makes the destination down

down in with the tide
pullin' side to side
the motion makes believin'
all the time goes by

river's slippin' eyes
smokin' cigarettes at nite
recollectin' your demise
way out west in the mornin'

all the friends and family
travel to a vision
guessin' where you've gone
in the sweeter by and by

chorus
i know what you're doin'
i know where ya been
ah but you can only reckon to the wind
you can only reckon to the wind

a young man is your double
maybe he wont die in trouble
twenty dollars makes ya humble
when ya roll across the sky

when all is said and done
i'll be walkin' on the run
lookin' up and down the sky
for your mem'ries
close behind.

chorus

c. 2010 gypsyeyes music, bmi
malcolm holcombe

to drink the rain

there'a a hole in the ocean
a hole in the sea
and a whole lotta trouble to get me free
free from worry free from pain